From the Economist on the long life of spam: "The criminal businesses that rely on spam are most at risk in law-abiding bits of the real world, such as America. Just like honest businesses, they appreciate its robust networks, reliable web-hosting. But law-enforcement agencies and internet security companies are also more active in such countries and have started working closely together. When Mr Bruen presents evidence to reputable hosting companies in America that their customers are fraudsters, they unplug them. Police agencies are increasingly interested to hear from him and fellow experts about the others. That, says Mr Bruen, reflects an important point. The word “cyber” in cybercrime obscures real crimes committed in real places."